Improvement in spikes



' rail.

PATENT SAVILL REDFERN, CHURGHVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPlKES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,972, dated .I une 17, 1873; application led May 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, SAVILL REDFERN, of Churchville, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad Spikes 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full7 clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same.

My invention consists of a railroad spike for driving sidewise into the ties, being provided with two prongs for the purpose, which are of unequal length and separated at some distance apart, and provided also with a notch or mortise which fits the edge of the rail, all as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improvement; Figure 2, a View of the same applied to a rail.

A represents the spike, which is madewith the. central body a and two prongs, b b, the latter being spread or divided by the fork c so as to stand at some distance apart, and one higher than the other, as shown in Fig. 2. The prongs are made of unequal length, the bottom one being the longer, and they stand at right angles to the body of the spike, so as to be driven into the side of the tie, instead of the top, which is ordinarily done. The inner edge of the spike is also cut with a notch or mortise, d, which receives the ilange of the These spikes are cut by a die from a bar of iron of suitable size. The die cuts the form of the spike and produces the notch d at the same operation. A split is also cut, which forms the fork c, when the upper shank f is properly bent out. The cutting of the ends of the bar in proper angular form gives such shape to the upper and lower extremities that the top g stands at the proper angle, and the lower end, when spread, produces the unequal length of the prongs b b.

The operation is as follows: The rail B being laid upon the ties C, the lnortiseor notch l is fitted to the flange of the rail, and the spike is then driven sidewise into the tie. The long prong enters first and secures the spike to the tie. If the notch does not bind closely upon the edge of the rail the spike is twisted or turned upon the axis of the long prong to produce the necessary lit, before the short prong enters the wood. When the proper position is attained the spike is driven to place.

A spike made in this way is much stronger and holds more securely than the ordinary straight spike which drives downward. The latter is constantly working loose, owing to the spring of the rai1s`,and if a rail breaks it furnishes but little protection. In my device the spike can never draw out by accident, and the rail is always held securely. Being so much stronger, the spikes may be placed further apart than ordinary spikes. A special advantage results from the unequal length of the prongs-allowing the spike to turn to proper position for fitting the edge of the rail before the short prong enters, as before described. Another advantage results from the location of one prong higher than the other, s o that they hold out ot' line in the wood.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The spike composed of the body a., shanks ff, and prongs b b, when said prongs are made ot' unequal length and are arranged to drive sidewise into the ties, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAVILL REDFERN.

Witnesses:

R. F. OsGooD, HENRY M. THOMAS. 

